The Dragon And The Fae

7. Chains

Rovena took in a painful breath. Her whole body was on fire from whatever she hit on the ride downhill and she wasn't healing fast enough.

But now her heart did all kinds of circus within her chest as she stared at Ryke who wore just a black leather pants and no shirt instead silver chains hung beautifully on his torso. His hair was wet from the rain which was hanging upto his shoulder and his charming face was pinched up in fury.

Yes. She definitely hit her head. Here she was, her future so bleak and blur, and she still had the mind to ogle him. I baffle myself.

Ryke instead looked at the boy Pico so delicately held.

“He is a pup.” Pico said roughly. “And he is dead.” Blood had pooled around where Pico stood creating a red watery halo around him.

Ryke just nodded, his jaw ticking once, then twice. Vein throbbed on his neck and she knew he was more than ready to burn her into ashes.

She didn't dare move. But she knew she was shaking. Badly. She was cold, her clothes were torn and she had lost blood. Her senses had started dimming long ago and now she felt light. She didn't dare look at the boy again for she knew she would crumble and never get up again.

“It was her! She killed him! I saw it in her eyes.” Titus snarled.

Rovena looked at Titus whose black eyes held nothing but hatred for her. Her teeth was starting to clatter. She clenched her fist. She didn't want to lash out. She didn't want to say anything at all that she had to take responsibility for, so she held still. More like she tried to stay still. Her wet hair clung to her face and she saw Ryke glowering at her. She squeezed her eyes shut. It was not an admission of defeat but this was not the time to aggravate him. She jolted at a cry.

“Kill her, your grace! She is a murderer!”

“She deserves to be skinned and burnt to ashes!”

“Kill the Fae! Kill her!” Collective echoes of agreement bellowed.

Opening her eyes, she saw Eric staring at her ruefully. His hazel eyes held so much sorrow that she was reminded of Ru. The only face that showed her some sympathy. He was the closest she had to a friend in her pathetic life and well, it was not like he could save her. She was damned the day she was born.

“Chain her. Into the dungeons.” He commanded at once and her eyes snapped to his, betrayal cutting deep into the bridge of trust that they had tried to build. His face faltered for a moment and then he turned his back on her, walking away.

He turned his back on her.. And then she slowly looked back at the lifeless boy. She grimaced from the pressure was that pressing on her chest. It hurts.. Everything hurts so darn much.. It was the single thought that dominated her mind before the earth slipped from under her feet and everything went black.

Ryke heard the commotions and turned back just in time to see Eric swooping her up into his arms, fending off people who were looking for an opportunity to tear into her like the vultures.

He gritted his teeth and with sheer will, resumed his pace forward. But the image was already printed into his mind. She looked so fragile and pale, the only color remaining on her was her red hair and the red that oozed from the cuts on her body. He wanted to believe she had not done it, something inside him already believed in her even as crazy as that sounded. She had not caused a single issue for all the six days she was here. And still the day she decided to go out, a wee boy was dead. A pup shifter, no less.

As a king, he had to order her to be chained. He couldn't be biased, he had to treat everyone equally. And he would also have to talk with the werewolf clan to avoid a potential war. Surely they wouldn't dare attack Chama, but still he had to apologize for a terrible disaster that took place on his turf.